Sint Odilienberg
In the eighth century A.D., three Anglo-Saxon missionaries (Wiro, Plechelmus and Otger) founded a small monastery on the Sint-Petrusberg, a Limburg hill of little significance at first glance. Later, at the foot of this hill emerged Sint Odiliënberg, an idyllic village on the meandering Roer River. The famous Pieterpad takes many tourists to this place. According to tradition, Bishop Balderik had the relics of Wiro, Plechelmus and Otger exalted, or canonized, in the tenth century.
Romanesque Basilica Sint Odiliënberg
During excavations in the church of Sint Odiliënberg, not entirely coincidentally, a tenth-century reliquary tomb was found. No remains of the original church have survived above ground. The present church is only partially intact according to its original design. Despite all the splendor of this Romanesque basilica, it was neglected for a long time. At the end of the nineteenth century, the church was revalued, with architect Johan Kayser responsible for its restoration. Partly based on parts still present, missing parts were reconstructed, until the church as it stands today.